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Geno going for 800th win in Big East final
There will be more at stake than just another Big East tournament title for UConn's Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma.
With a win against Notre Dame on Tuesday he would become just the sixth Division I women's basketball coach to win 800 games.
Auriemma knew he was getting close but didn't realize he won his 799th game on Monday night.
"I think we have averaged 2 1/2 losses a year for 15 years and as soon as somebody brought up 800 we went on a losing streak so I don't want to talk about," Auriemma said. "Nothing good that can come out of talking about that. 'You are old, you have coached a lot of games, you coach guys whose kids are now in college.' Nothing good can come out of that. All the players who are playing in Europe are texting you back and saying if it wasn't for me you'd be in Philly running a hot dog stand or a pizza joint. When the time comes we will talk about it."
Well that time could be in his next game.
"I thought it was in the NCAA tournament. I had no idea, Now we will get our (butts) beat by Notre Dame for 800 and that will be really bad so that changes things. I am going after their throats tomorrow. I am coming after them. I think the players feel like anybody else would feel. It is something that very few coaches are around to do and I feel very fortunate that I am in a position to have that happen if it happens down the road and it has happened all at one school, all at one place."
UConn sophomore guard Bria Hartley said the Huskies will be trying to get Auriemma No. 800 on his first attempt rather than waiting for the first game of the NCAA tournament.
"Having that many wins it is even hard to think about," Hartley said. "Coach has been doing this for a long time and we are going to come out and get this win for him."
With a win against Notre Dame on Tuesday he would become just the sixth Division I women's basketball coach to win 800 games.
Auriemma knew he was getting close but didn't realize he won his 799th game on Monday night.
"I think we have averaged 2 1/2 losses a year for 15 years and as soon as somebody brought up 800 we went on a losing streak so I don't want to talk about," Auriemma said. "Nothing good that can come out of talking about that. 'You are old, you have coached a lot of games, you coach guys whose kids are now in college.' Nothing good can come out of that. All the players who are playing in Europe are texting you back and saying if it wasn't for me you'd be in Philly running a hot dog stand or a pizza joint. When the time comes we will talk about it."
Well that time could be in his next game.
"I thought it was in the NCAA tournament. I had no idea, Now we will get our (butts) beat by Notre Dame for 800 and that will be really bad so that changes things. I am going after their throats tomorrow. I am coming after them. I think the players feel like anybody else would feel. It is something that very few coaches are around to do and I feel very fortunate that I am in a position to have that happen if it happens down the road and it has happened all at one school, all at one place."
UConn sophomore guard Bria Hartley said the Huskies will be trying to get Auriemma No. 800 on his first attempt rather than waiting for the first game of the NCAA tournament.
"Having that many wins it is even hard to think about," Hartley said. "Coach has been doing this for a long time and we are going to come out and get this win for him."
Labels: Bria Hartley, Geno Auriemma
posted by Jim Fuller at
12:47 AM
1 Comments:
Here is something even more amazing about Mr. Auriemma's record: in his first three seasons as head coach, his record was 43 - 39. Starting in his fourth season (at which time one assumes his first-year recruits are now seniors, so that it is "his" team), his record going into the Big East Championship game is 756 - 89 for a 89.5% winning percentage.
UConn has made the NCAA tournament every year since Geno's fourth season, and in the tournament their record is 83 - 16 (23 years, 7 championships, five more Final Fours...or half the time they make at least the Final Four!).
He does a great job of delegating to his assistants; really understands the "team" concept.
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